The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch device for preventing a door from opening if a door panel is deformed by a crash.
A conventional vehicle door latch device is disclosed in JP2016-505098A.
The vehicle door latch device in JP2016-505098A comprises a latch (“rotary catch” in JP2016-505098A) that can engage with a striker; a ratchet (“pawl”) that can engage with the latch; an opening lever (“open lever”) for releasing the ratchet; a first lever (“inertia lever”) pivotally mounted to a base; a second lever (“preventing lever”) pivotally mounted to the first lever; and a safety lever that contacts an outer periphery of the first lever forcedly and applies a resistance to rotation of the first lever. When a door handle is operated manually, the first lever and the second lever rotate around the first lever together, and when the opening lever is rotated at an excessive speed by a crash, the second lever moves to a position where it can contact the safety lever, thereby preventing the ratchet from rotating and the door from opening.
However, the vehicle door latch device in JP2016-505098A applies a resistance to rotation of the first lever by contacting the periphery of the first lever forcedly. Due to dust and frozen rain water in a gap between the periphery of the first lever and the safety lever, a resistance to the first lever is excessive, and when a door handle is operated manually, the second lever moves to a position where it prevents the first lever from rotating, so that the door cannot be opened.